Estimated gas use always wrong on Octopus bill

Spoonie_Turtle

ProDave said:

WHY are you relying on an estimated reading?

Give them an actual reading once a month and you will be billed on actual usage.  Octopus are one of the best I have come across and it is easy to just give them an actual reading on their website.

You've not read the thread properly.  It's the annual estimate that's always wrong (which is then used to recalculate their DD amount at each price change), not their actual bills.

ProDave

Spoonie_Turtle said:

ProDave said:

WHY are you relying on an estimated reading?

Give them an actual reading once a month and you will be billed on actual usage.  Octopus are one of the best I have come across and it is easy to just give them an actual reading on their website.

You've not read the thread properly.  It's the annual estimate that's always wrong (which is then used to recalculate their DD amount at each price change), not their actual bills.

Octopus let YOU select your monthly DD amount on their website.  So just ignore anything they suggest and set your monthly payment based on what you know to be true.

Simple, and saves trying to argue with them to change how they do things.

Octopus are one of the best in that they allow you do do things like that on their website, but they are not perfect.  You having control of things like that makes up for the other imperfections.  Just be thankful this is not some other supplier that sets silly monthly amounts and then does not let you change them.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Ally2 said:

Does anyone have a direct number to a more senior department where I can esclate the  problem

https://octopus.energy/unhappy/

Complaints email is here OP.  

Unfortunately your issue is probably off-script and as with most companies this is where service falters, if you use the email there they'll have 8 weeks to resolve, if they can't you can raise to the Energy Ombudsman.

If they've previously given you any conflicting or incorrect advice note this in the complaint as well. 

Gerry1

Ally2 said:

I was even told recently its a third party that manages the database for all energy companies that provides these estimated readings and they will advise them but there's a backlog in getting it changed.  Really?  Can anyone confirm this.

Sounds like you're confusing this with The Mysterious Third Party that verifies your opening meter reading when you switch to a new company and dreams up a new reading if it doesn't like it.

https://help.so.energy/support/solutions/articles/7000046241

AFAIK the Estimated Annual Consumption is your supplier's guesstimate, probably based on past readings and perhaps tweaked a bit depending on weather records.

But as others have said, it's only an estimate and Octopus allow you change your Fixed DD.

Of course, for many the best answer is to change to Monthly Variable Direct Debit where you pay the whole bill each month and no credit or debit builds up.  Not all suppliers offer this (another failure by dozy Ofgem) but Octopus do if you phone them.  Lower bills in summer, higher in winter but much better for spotting high usage in a timely manner rather than six months later when it's too late to do anything about it.

markin

Do you give monthly reading so they can work it out correctly?

They tend to use a 3 year average to account for warm/cold winters

Spoonie_Turtle

ProDave said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

ProDave said:

WHY are you relying on an estimated reading?

Give them an actual reading once a month and you will be billed on actual usage.  Octopus are one of the best I have come across and it is easy to just give them an actual reading on their website.

You've not read the thread properly.  It's the annual estimate that's always wrong (which is then used to recalculate their DD amount at each price change), not their actual bills.

Octopus let YOU select your monthly DD amount on their website.  So just ignore anything they suggest and set your monthly payment based on what you know to be true.

I see this line trotted out a lot but the reality is, below a certain amount it won't let you do it online, and then it's hit and miss whether a) you'll get a human looking at any e-mail enquiry you send and then b) whether they'll actually let you.

I still think they are miles ahead of the other suppliers, but the gap is less than it used to be - the golden age of full control over one's account and immediate helpful responses when there was a need to contact them seems to be over.

Ally2

Spoonie_Turtle said:

ProDave said:

WHY are you relying on an estimated reading?

Give them an actual reading once a month and you will be billed on actual usage.  Octopus are one of the best I have come across and it is easy to just give them an actual reading on their website.

You've not read the thread properly.  It's the annual estimate that's always wrong (which is then used to recalculate their DD amount at each price change), not their actual bills.

Exactly.  Spot on.

ProDave

Spoonie_Turtle said:

ProDave said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

ProDave said:

WHY are you relying on an estimated reading?

Give them an actual reading once a month and you will be billed on actual usage.  Octopus are one of the best I have come across and it is easy to just give them an actual reading on their website.

You've not read the thread properly.  It's the annual estimate that's always wrong (which is then used to recalculate their DD amount at each price change), not their actual bills.

Octopus let YOU select your monthly DD amount on their website.  So just ignore anything they suggest and set your monthly payment based on what you know to be true.

I see this line trotted out a lot but the reality is, below a certain amount it won't let you do it online, and then it's hit and miss whether a) you'll get a human looking at any e-mail enquiry you send and then b) whether they'll actually let you.

I still think they are miles ahead of the other suppliers, but the gap is less than it used to be - the golden age of full control over one's account and immediate helpful responses when there was a need to contact them seems to be over.

Thank you.  I have never had a problem adjusting my monthly payments on line I did not know there was a lower limit.

And i agree while Octopus are one of the best, they are certainly not perfect. If anyone ever does find the prefect energy supplier please let us all know.,

MWT

Gerry1 said:

Sounds like you're confusing this with The Mysterious Third Party that verifies your opening meter reading when you switch to a new company and dreams up a new reading if it doesn't like it.

https://help.so.energy/support/solutions/articles/7000046241

AFAIK the Estimated Annual Consumption is your supplier's guesstimate, probably based on past readings and perhaps tweaked a bit depending on weather records.

No, it really is a part of the same industry process.

Here is an explanation from one of the energy suppliers...

Any one supplier might not have any historical data for your home if you switch for example, so it has to be a centralised body that stores and processes the data.

superkoopauk

So it sounds like the readings you have provided have not been validated by the central body and hence they have not revised the annual estimate.  IMO Octopus should be able to escalate this.